The present invention relates generally to mailing machines, and more particularly, to improved mailing machines of the type where an assemblage of documents or "mailing" processed by the machine includes a plurality of elements which are individually directed to the customer, such as the pages of a bill, and wherein other elements, such as mailing envelopes, return envelopes, data processing cards, informational circulars and advertising, are not so directed. These materials are collectively referred to herein as "inserts"; these so-called inserts, in contrast to the bill pages, need not be uniquely addressed or addressable.
According to the present invention, an improved high speed apparatus is provided for imparting a proper folding and pressing action to insure that the contents of the envelope may be readily and reliably inserted into a mailing envelope. This insures that the user is presented with an orderly, unitary array of mailed materials which is self-contained and the elements of which do not require re-assembly after removal from the envelope.
High speed automated mailing systems are known, including those which can process many thousand mailings per hour. However, as is the case with many highly engineered products, there is still room for improvement in certain aspects of machine operation. In particular, there is a short coming in existing commercial machines in the area of properly folding and pressing a package or bundle of assorted materials into a unitary package for insertion into an envelope. In this connection, certain folding mechanisms are unable to provide a satisfactory fold to more than two or three sheets, and consequently must fold a fifteen sheet mailing, for example, by individually folding the mailing in three groups of five sheets each. This presents the user with the problem of receiving a number of separate components in the mail envelope, which must somehow be sorted by the customer in order to be fully understood or dealt with.
Other folder apparatus is available which is able to fold a larger number of sheets, but, owing to the intermittent operational nature of such machines, once a fold has been imparted to a set of envelope contents, the package may not remain flat for the time required to insert the mailing into the envelope, and/or may unduly bias the mailing envelope open and render it difficult to seal.
As used herein the expression "mailing" is intended to apply to a group of materials intended to be sent to a single customer, exclusive of the exterior mailing envelope; the mailing plus the exterior envelope is sometimes referred to herein as the package.
According to the invention, a folder unit is combined with a novel pressing roller assembly which has a number of desirable advantages and characteristics in use, including the ability to impart a flatter profile to a mailing by way of completing and pressing the mailing in a pressing roller arrangement. This is achieved without smudging or smearing of the mailing, and is carried out under a controlled force, while still making allowance for variations and inconsistencies in the thickness of the folded mailing. Other advantages and characteristics of the apparatus are described below.
In view of the failure of the prior art to provide a fully satisfactory mailing machine capable of providing a mechanism for accurately folding and pressing a large number of sheets into a compact array for insertion into a mailing envelope, it is an object of the present invention to provide a high speed mailing apparatus having an improved folding, creasing and pressing mechanism.
Another object of the invention is to provide, in combination, a folding and creasing mechanism and an improved pressing mechanism for a plurality of folded sheets.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved pressing mechanism for use in pressing a mailing assembled and folded by an automated mailing machine.
A still further object is to provide a folding system combined with a pressing apparatus which includes a pair of opposed, continuously driven rollers adapted to press the folded-over sheets so as to maintain them in a compressed condition for subsequent insertion into a mailing envelope.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a folding apparatus which includes a folder bar intermittently movable in an arc from a position beneath a portion of a paper stack to a position overlying a creasing foot or jaw adapted to rise and press the sheets against the folder bar to impart a crease to the mailing, in combination with a pair of opposed, continuously driven pressing rollers located downstream of the folder.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pressing roller mechanism which includes upper and lower pressing rollers driven synchronously and having their outer surfaces urged into closely spaced apart rotation by an adjustable tensioning mechanism
A still further object of the invention is to provide a pressing roller arrangement for use in an automated mailing machine wherein a first roller is supported in fixed relation to a table and the second roller overlies the first roller, and is supported for pivotable movement by a swing arm mechanism permitting adjustment of roller position and facilitating synchronous drive of the rollers.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a pair of pressing rollers which are urged together by a resilient spring action but which are movable to a widely spaced apart position for replacement or maintenance by the use of a novel toggle arrangement for alternately locking and releasing the rollers.
A further object of the invention is to provide a roller tensioning arrangement useful with a roller movably mounted on a swing arm, wherein the tensioning arrangement includes a toggle link secured to the axle of one roller, a toggle arm pivotally mounted to the link and secured to the axle of the other roller, with the link of the arm being arranged such that the pivotable connection between the arm and the link moves between locked and opened positions by moving over center with respect to an extension of a line extending between the axles about which the two pressing rollers rotate.
Another object of the invention is to provide a roller support and drive system which includes first and second, fixed axis roller drive elements, a first pressing roller with a fixed rotational axis, and a second pressing roller carried by a swing arm which has one end mounted for pivoting movement about the axis of the second roller drive element, a positive drive connection between the first drive element and the first roller, and the second drive element and the second roller, with the first and second drive elements also having portions engaged with each other to insure synchronous rotation of the drive elements and their associated rollers, regardless of the positions of the rollers themselves
A still further object of the invention is to provide a pressing roller arrangement having a fixed axis roller and a movable axis roller, with the movable axis roller and the fixed axis roller being urged together by a toggle arrangement which includes a toggle link having a closed end portion encircling the axis of one roller, an intermediate portion only partially encircling the other roller axis, and another end portion partially attached to a toggle arm journaling the axle of the movable axis roller for rotation about its own axis, with the toggle link and arm being arranged so that the pivot point moves over center with respect to the projection of a line extending between the axes of the two rollers, whereby a change in the gap between the two rollers may be accommodated during normal use and whereby the toggle arm may be pivoted with respect to the link to release the tension urging the rollers together and permit the movable roller to be raised freely.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a roller control arrangement wherein the two pressing rollers are urged together by a spring-tension toggle arrangement which permits ready adjustment of the initial spacing between pressing rollers
A further object of the invention is to provide a toggle arrangement for a pair of opposed rollers wherein the tension biasing the rollers together may be adjusted by a simple mechanism.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a pressing roller arrangement wherein the axle of one roller extends through and is journaled by a pair of arms forming a part of a toggle linkage arrangement and wherein a handle extends between the toggle arms to facilitate manipulation of the roller.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pressing roller arrangement in a mailing machine in which one roller is protected by a shroud forming a part of a toggle linkage which secures the roller in place during use.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a pressing roller arrangement which may be readily added to existing mailing machines using intermittent conveyors and insert stations and wherein said rollers may be associated in use with the folding and creasing station forming a part of such machine.
The invention achieves the foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention by providing a mailing machine having a machine frame, a table, a plurality of insert stations disposed adjacent the table, a conveyor having one run extending parallel to the table and having spaced apart elements for engaging and moving individual mailings along the table, with the machine further including a mailing, folding and creasing station and a pressing roller station having a pair of opposed pressing rollers actuated by a common drive arrangement and biased toward a closely spaced apart position by a resilient, releasable toggle clamp arrangement. The invention further achieves its objects by providing a pressing roller arrangement for use with a folder station wherein one of a pair of pressing rollers is carried by a movable swing arm and the other is fixed, and wherein each roller is driven separately but synchronously from a common source.
The exact manner in which the foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention are achieved in practice will become more clearly apparent when reference is made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention set forth in the specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate corresponding parts throughout.